Son,

Governor Matt Blunt of Missouri has taken a pro-bureaucracy, anti-immigration, big Government, do-the-wrong-thing, position to get reelected. This is typical politics. Solving problems means solving the political problem – not making life better for citizens. This mentality is exactly what is wrong with government. And we the people are to blame. We are to blame because we reward the politicians with our vote.

The issue today is illegal immigration. The politicians have taken the news media’s lead, being careful to look tough on tough issues, and have solved the wrong problems. It is the doing-things-right versus doing-the-right-things argument.

Somehow the issue of granting driver’s licenses has become the Republican centerpiece of immigration reform. Governor Blunt proclaimed in his State-of-the-State address, “Turn off the magnet that attracts mass illegal immigration.” Do not allow immigrants to drive legally. That should stop the flow of illegals. What insanity.

The result is added government bureaucracy. Regular folks like you and me now have to have several forms of identification to renew a driver’s license that I have had for forty years. I have to bring my old license, my birth certificate, and a utility bill to prove residency. More bureaucracy. The lines at the license bureaucracy are longer, more staff is required, and the folks who are illegal just don’t bother.

Hard working regular taxpayers are burdened with bigger government and illegal aliens drive without licenses. What problem have we solved? Simple – Governor Blunt can claim he is tough on immigration – an issue that is not going to be fixed at a State level.

Illegal immigrants can now drive the streets where my grandchildren play without taking a test to demonstrate that they know how to drive, they don’t have to prove they can read road signs, they don’t have to have insurance, they don’t get their vehicles inspected – Bigger Government and Bigger Problems.

This mentality has given rise to the likes of Ron Paul – dismantle the whole thing and start over mentality. Gut the beast. This is not the solution.

The solution is to honestly define the problem, then focus on the solution. An immigrant having a driver’s license is not the problem, and denying a driver’s license is not the solution.

Dad